Textile article dyeing apparatus

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for the dyeing of textile articles generally with a substantially rotating current circulation bath comprising a tank containing the dyeing bath provided with inlets to provoke circulation by means of fluids under pressure. Heating means are provided on the inside of the tank. The tank is autoclave shaped and supported about a horizontal bath provided on the inside of the tank by means of feeding means. A closing seal device is provided on an opening of the skirt of the tank for the loading and unloading of materials respectively to be treated and materials already treated.

United States Patent Blumenkamp [54] TEXTILE ARTICLE DYEING APPARATUS [72] Inventor: Manfred Blumenkamp, Via Bissolati 6, Cremona, Italy [22] Filed: June 10, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 151,700

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data June 16, 1970 Italy ..26070 A/70 [52] U.S. Cl. ..68/15, 68/183, 68/184, 68/196, 68/210 [51] Int. Cl ..D06f 17/02, D06f 39/04, D06f 39/14 [58] Field of Search ..68/l5,16,183,184, 210

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,498,092 3/1970 Berry et a1. ..68/196 X [451 Oct. 10,1972

4/1970 Stanway ..68/210 X 5/1970 Macon et al ..68/2l0 [57] ABSTRACT An apparatus for the dyeing of textile articles generally with a substantially rotating current circulation bath comprising a tank containing the dyeing bath provided with inlets to provoke circulation by means of fluids under pressure. Heating means are provided on the inside of the tank. The tank is autoclave shaped and supported about a horizontal bath provided on the inside of the tank by means of feeding means. A closing seal device is provided on an opening of the skirt of the tank for the loading and unloading of materials respectively to be treated and materials already treated.

7 Claims, 10 Drawing Figures PATENTEDnm 10 1912 SHEET 1 [IF 3 INVENTOR MANFRED BLUMENKAMP AGENT PATENTEDucI 10 m2 3.696.644

' sum 2 or 3 MANFREIS ELEWBIP AGENT PATENTEDum 10 m2 SHEET 3 UF 3 INVENTOR MANF RED BLUNENKANP BY W:

A ENT TEXTILE ARTICLE DYEING APPARATUS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to an apparatus, for the dyeing of textile articles generally as for example hosiery articles and the like, even those of synthetic fiber origin.

Technical problems are known in the art of dyeing textile articles generally and in particular textile articles of synthetic fiber origin relating to the nature and intrinsic characteristics of the original materials. These problems are not easy to resolve as for example in the selecting of temperatures and pressures for the dyeing bath in order to avoid undesired degradation of the manufactured articles of synthetic fiber origin. Another particular problem is the difficulty of obtaining an excellent uniform dyeing especially when the articles to be dyed have structural and conformational characteristics such as to complicate the operation. Thus for example, in dyeing baths with a substantially rotating moving bath, provided by the blowing in of air in a suitable direction, the dyeing of stockings is unsatisfactory. This being due to the tendency of the stockings to float in the bath and not being completely immersed as is desirable. A further technical problem relating to dyeing apparatus in question, is the laboriousness of their operating, which in practice requires manual intervention on behalf of one or more operators, for the loading and unloading respectively of the material to be dyed and material dyed. This laboriousness constitutes a notable obstacle for the forming of a production line beginning from yarn producing apparatus up to product finishing apparatus, comprising one or more dyeing stations. This production line technique being a modern work technique which notoriously combines the principles of good results with high daily production. Apparatus or dyeing baths, as at present known, because of their necessity, for loading and unloading material respectively to be treated and material treated, to use substantially numerous, labor hands, with manual operations, are not suitable to constitute the so-called dyeing stations in a continuous production line or cycle of textile articles.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for the dyeing of textile articles generally, having structural and functional technical characteristics such as to contemporaneously resolve the technical problems mentioned in the foregoing. That is, by providing an apparatus, which besides allowing the obtaining of good dyeing results with textiles generally, even whentextiles of synthetic fiber origin are used, can also be advantageously used in complete production lines or cycles. This avoiding the employment of labor hands, or anyway, manual interventions for the loading and unloading operations of the material to be treated and material already treated, allowing therefore the possibility of obtaining daily productions which are higher compared with analogous dyeing apparatus as present in use.

Another object of the invention is to provide a dyeing apparatus of simple structure, of easy and secure operating, as well as having overall dimensions strictly limited to the potentiality which it is wished to attain.

Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of the above mentioned type whose easy construction provides the use of materials normally commercially available, as well as construction methods of known type, so as to'be advantageous also from the strictly economical point of view.

These and still further objects, which will better appear from the following, are achieved bya dyeing apparatus according to the invention, essentially formed from a tank suitable to contain the dyeing bath, provided with inlets for the inletting of fluids under pressure said inlets being suitable to determine a substantially rotating movement of such a dyeing bath and from heating means of said bath, which apparatus is characterized in that said tank essentially auto-clave shaped is rotatably supported about one of its substantially horizontal axes from a framework comprising geared motor means for the rotation of said tank and coloring bath feeding means to the inside of the tank, said tank being provided, on its skirt, with an opening having a seal closing device, for the loading and unloading respectively of the material to be treated and material treated.

I BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS A fuller understanding may be had by referring to the following detailed description of a preferred, but not exclusive embodiment of a dyeing apparatus according to the invention, illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 shows, in side view, the tank of the dyeing apparatus according to the invention;

FIG. 2 shows, still in side view, the dyeing apparatus in accordance with the invention in an operating position;

FIG. 3 is a further elevation view, from the side, of the apparatus according to the invention;

FIG. 4 is a view of the dyeing apparatus taken along line IV-IV of FIG. 1;

FIGS. 5 and 6 show the seal closing device of the opening provided on the skirt of the tank of the dyeing apparatus according to the invention;

FIG. 7 shows, in an enlarged scale, a section taken along the line VlI-VII of FIG. 5-;

FIG. 8 shows diagrammatically, a constructive detail of the apparatus in accordance with the invention;

FIGS. 9 and 10 show, in an enlarged scale, the same constructive detail diagrammatically shown in FIG. 8.

With reference to the above mentioned figures, the apparatus for the dyeing of manufactured articles and articles of the textile type, according to the invention, is essentially formed from a tank 1 of a cylindrical shape whose end plates 2 and 3 are advantageously provided with a plurality of radially arranged reinforcing elements 4 (FIG. 3). The tank 1 is supported from a pair of stands or trestles 5 and 6 and more precisely is rotatably supported about one of its own horizontal axes constituted from shafts 7 and 8. Said shafts 7 and 8 are driven by a geared motor unit, which is not shown for the sake of simplicity, but is suitable to rotate said tank. Said tank 1 defines internally, a cavity 9 (FIG. 4) which is suitable to contain the dye treatment bath, its bottom being essentially formed from a grating which is diagrammatically shown by the reference number 10. At the said grating 10, said cavity communicates with the outside through four ducts ll, 12, 13 and 14. The ducts 13 and 14 are connected to an intake of a pump (not shown) while the outlets of said pump communicate with the ducts 11 and 12. These connections occur by means which are described further on. Still in said cavity 9, the tank 1 is provided with a heating coil 15, advantageously protected by a shield or cover la for example a drilled plate, for the heating of the dyeing bath to the desired temperature. Furthermore, in said cavity, a nozzle is provided which is diagrammatically shown by the reference numeral 16, for the blowing of air or other compressed fluid into the dyeing bath. The tank 1 is provided, on its skirt, with a large opening or aperture 17 intended for the loading and unloading respectively of the material to be subjected to treatment and material already treated. This opening 17 is provided with a hermetic sealing device generically indicated by the reference numeral 18, and is illustrated in detail in FIGS. to 7.

With reference to such figures, said device 18 is essentially formed from a dome-like cover 19 provided at its mouth, with a circular flange 20, which for a section substantially equal to half its circumference is bent at its border 21 according to an essentially U-shape. The mouth of the opening 17, is also externally connected to an annular flange 22 which, for a section equal to half a circumference opposite to the half circumference of the border 21 is bent towards the top at its border 23, it also being essentially U-shaped (FIG. 7). Said bent borders 21 and 23 are dimensioned so as to be connected, according to as shown in FIG. 7, respectively with the counter opposing lengths of the flanges 22 and 20. In such a position, which corresponds to a closed position, an annular gasket 24 is interplaced between the counteropposing flanges 22 and 20. Said gasket is of the type which expands when stressed by fluid under pressure, so as to guarantee a notable seal between said flanges. A roller 25, is externally connected to the dome-like cover 19, and is'freely rotatable in engagement with a circular guide 26 supported by the skirt of the tank 1.

Said dome-like cover 19 is besides pivoted at 27, at a position diametrically opposite to the position of said roller 25, at the skirt of the tank 1. Said cover 19 is sub jected to the action of a pneumatic cylinder 28, whose stem 29 is connected to an arm element 30 fixed rigid to said dome-like cover. To pass from a closed position (FIGS. 5 and 7) to an open position (FIG. 6), the cylinder 28 is operated so as to withdraw the stem 29 into it, thus determining a rotation of the dome-like cover 19 about the pivot 27, being guided by the engagement between the roller 25 and the guide 26. With a contrary operating of the cylinder 28, the preceding closed position is naturally obtained.

The operating of the apparatus, which has been described above, according to the invention is the following. The tank 1 is positioned according to as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, i.e., with opening 17 facing upwards. The tank is loaded with the dyeing liquid bath. Successively, through said opening 17, with the device 18 in an open position, the loading of a prefixed quantity of textile articles to by dyed takes place. Then the hermetic sealing of said opening 17 occurs, according to as described in the foregoing, and the pump unit is started. Said pump unit, intakes the liquid forming the bath, from the ducts 13 and 14 passing it again into the bath itself through the ducts 11 and 12. According to as clearly shown in FIG. 4, the ducts 11 and 12 are positioned so that the liquid which enters the tank 1 has an essentially tangential direction thus favoring a rotating movement of the bath. Alternating or combinating with the rotating movement, obtained with such a liquid injection, an inletting of air through the nozzle 16 may be provided. The bath loaded in the tank, can be heated to the desired temperature by means of the coil 15. After a certain period, when it is considered that the material loaded might be finished, and before sampling to check the degree of dyeing, a certain quantity of the bath of the tank 1 is discharged, about equal to half of the bath originally loaded. When the bath on the inside of the tank 1 reaches a prefixed level, suitable means are started to operate the geared motor unit, which determines the rotation of the tank 1 along its horizontal axis, materialized by the shafts 7 and 8, until the opening 17, already open at the beginning of said rotation, is in a position facing downwards (FIG. 2).

There is thus obtained an unloading of the autoclave with a certain continuousness which forms a notable and advantageous facilitation in the operating of the apparatus according to the invention.

In the FIGS. 8 to 10 there is shown a constructive device according to the invention, relating in particular to the feeding ducts of the bolts to the inside of the tank 1. In fact, because of the rotation of said tank, a technical problem exists relating to the feeding ducts, in that said ducts must permit the above mentioned rotation. For this reason, a tube-like length 129 is rigidly connected to the tank 1, while the carrying framework supports, by means per se known and not shown, a tubelike duct 130 of the arriving bath. For the sealingconnection of the tube-like length 129 with the end length of the duct 130, the use of a pair of hook elements 131 and 132 are used. The upper ends 1310 and 132a of said hook elements are intended to engage with corresponding pins 133 and 134 fixed rigid to the tube-like length 129, while the other ends of said hook elements 131 and 132 are connected for pivoting at the ends 135 of a lever 136. The other ends 137 of said lever 136 are in turn pivoted to a transverse element 138, connected to a stem 139, of a hydraulic jack 140, supported by the bearing framework. Each lever 136 is centrally pivoted at 141, to the end length of the fixed duct 130. Thus upon operating the jack 140, said lever 136 provides a positioning of the hook elements 131 and 132 in engagement or disengagement with the corresponding pins 133 and 134. This system provides a removable connection between the ducts 129 and 130 used for feeding the bath to the inside of the tank 1. In this manner the technical problem relating to these feeding ducts upon the rotation of the tank I mentioned above, is solved.

According to a modified embodiment a pump for the circulation of both liquid may be provided, which is supported on the tank 1 itself. In this way when the tank 1 is rotated it carries the pump with it so that the disconnection of the connecting ducts is not necessary.

From what has been described and illustrated in the foregoing it will be easily appreciated how the apparatus according to the invention achieves all the objects which were previously stated, in particular relating to its simple construction details, its efficiency during operating and to its possibility of being inserted in a continuous production line or cycle.

While the invention has been described with respect to a preferred example, it will be understood by those skilled in the art after understanding the invention that various modifications and changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. An apparatus for the dyeing of articles of textiles generally essentially formed from a tank suitable to contain the dyeing bath, provided with inlets for the inletting of fluids under pressuresaid inlets being suitable to determine a substantially rotating movement of such a dyeing bath and from heating meansof said bath, which apparatus is characterized in that said tank essentially autoclave shaped is rotatably supported about one of its substantially horizontal axes from a framework comprising geared motor means for the rotation of said tank and coloring bath feeding means to the inside of the tank, said tank being provided, on its skirt, with an opening having a seal closing device, for the loading and unloading respectively of the material to be treated and material treated. 2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said device for the seal closing of said opening is essentially formed from a domelike cover peripherally provided with a circular flange seal connecting to a corresponding flange peripherally provided around said opening and with the interplacing of seal gaskets, said dome-like cover being connected to the skirt of said tank with a possibility of I translatory movements along a plane parallel to the plane defined by said flanges.

3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said dome-like cover is connected for pivoting from a position on its circumference to a position of the skirt of said tank, with the pivoting axis perpendicular to said skirt, means being provided for the rotation of said cover about said pivoting position.

4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said means for the rotation of said dome-like cover about said pivoting position, are formed from a pneumatic jack supported from said skirt and whose movable element is connected to anarm fixed rigid to said domelike cover, which cover is provided with engagement means moving in a circular guide provided on said skirt.

5. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said flange of said dome-like cover has, for a distance corresponding to half of its circumference, a border bent to a U-shape suitable to externally connect to a corresponding half circle section of the flange of said opening whose remaining section is also provided with an essentially U bent border suitable to externally engage to the half circle plane section of said flange of said dome-like cover.

6. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said tank is provided with a tube-like duct for the inletting into the said tank of a dyeing bath, the end of said duct being suitable to removably connect with the end of a fixed feeding duct of said bath leading to a source of dyeing liquid.

7. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a pump for the circulation of fluids within the tank and supporting means for said pump rigid with said tank. 

1. An apparatus for the dyeing of articles of textiles generally essentially formed from a tank suitable to contain the dyeing bath, provided with inlets for the inletting of fluids under pressure said inlets being suitable to determine a substantially rotating movement of such a dyeing bath and from heating means of said bath, which apparatus is characterized in that said tank essentially autoclave shaped is rotatably supported about one of its substantially horizontal axes from a framework comprising geared motor means for the rotation of said tank and coloring bath feeding means to the inside of the tank, said tank being provided, on its skirt, with an opening having a seal closing device, for the loading and unloading respectively of the material to be treated and material treated.
 2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said device for the seal closing of said opening is essentially formed from a dome-like cover peripherally provided with a circular flange sEal connecting to a corresponding flange peripherally provided around said opening and with the interplacing of seal gaskets, said dome-like cover being connected to the skirt of said tank with a possibility of translatory movements along a plane parallel to the plane defined by said flanges.
 3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said dome-like cover is connected for pivoting from a position on its circumference to a position of the skirt of said tank, with the pivoting axis perpendicular to said skirt, means being provided for the rotation of said cover about said pivoting position.
 4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said means for the rotation of said dome-like cover about said pivoting position, are formed from a pneumatic jack supported from said skirt and whose movable element is connected to an arm fixed rigid to said dome-like cover, which cover is provided with engagement means moving in a circular guide provided on said skirt.
 5. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said flange of said dome-like cover has, for a distance corresponding to half of its circumference, a border bent to a U-shape suitable to externally connect to a corresponding half circle section of the flange of said opening whose remaining section is also provided with an essentially U bent border suitable to externally engage to the half circle plane section of said flange of said dome-like cover.
 6. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said tank is provided with a tube-like duct for the inletting into the said tank of a dyeing bath, the end of said duct being suitable to removably connect with the end of a fixed feeding duct of said bath leading to a source of dyeing liquid.
 7. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a pump for the circulation of fluids within the tank and supporting means for said pump rigid with said tank. 